Did you know that astronauts have to be careful about the amount of food, air, energy and water that they use while on the space station? Well they do! In the book, Space on Earth: How Thinking Like an Astronaut Can Help Save Planet Earth by Dave Williams and Linda Preuessen, we are introduced into how astronauts conserve resources on the space station. Not only do these wonderful inventions work in space but they can also work on Earth too!

Space on Earth is a great read for both children and adults. I never realized how much water is used to take a bath or to help make a pair of blue jeans (water to help grow the cotton). Reading this made me realize how all of us need to conserve our resources and how easy it is to do! Both Dave Williams and Linda Pruessen wrote in a way which keeps the information easy to understand and interesting. Wonderful photographs and illustrations by Sho Uehara are included.

This is a nonfiction book about how astronauts living in space and how it may help earth. You will read fascinating facts such as food waste stats and “food footprints.” Some examples of space technology may be useful on earth such as waterless toilets, hydroponic agriculture and air purifiers. Each chapter ends with practical tips to use on earth now. Knowing that are still many problems, they will make good projects to solve.there are suggested experiments to do for young scientists.

I found this book quite interesting on how astronauts are working on several different projects. There is a great deal of information from a different perspective on environmental issues. Included in the book is a glossary, selected sources, image sources and index.

Space on Earth is a great book for kids - it reminds me a lot of the science books I would read as a child, with fun illustrations, and engaging text to teach kids about sustainability. The idea of using what we learn from space travel and applying it to living better on earth is something that's close to my heart, and it's done so well with the little call outs to life on the ISS. The experiments and activities are also a great part of the book - letting the lessons move beyond the text and hopefully cementing what's learned.

This book was very enjoyable. Super interesting I was showing my son the pictures and he would point so I would describe what was going on. I would find myself talking to my husband about what was happening in the book.

Space on Earth was much loved by my 8yo science and environmental impact loving son (he wants the book for his bookshelf!). This book has a great ratio of writing to images/infographics to keep children engaged and interested - would be an excellent addition to any classroom.

Thank you to Annick Press and NetGalley for this ARC!

Reads well for an upper-elementary or supplemental 6th grade book. I would love to have this in my classroom. There is talk of conservation, consistency in placement of graphics in moving margins, as well as a look at the impact of climate change!

Space exploration has provided many inventions that we use today. While "Space on Earth" looked promising, it fell short of providing the inspiration that I was hoping for my students. As educators move away from telling students to simply use less and take personal responsibility for mismanaged Earth's resources, I can see how this text can be a point of reference when it comes to the present lack of adequate solutions. For instance, our summer heat cannot be solved with fans and open windows. Neither can vehicle pollution be solved with the use of public transportation in a country designed for cars. Nonetheless, we can analyze the shortcomings of presented solutions and develop better, more efficient solutions that will be sustainable and practical for human life.

This would be a perfect book to teach students about perspective. It’s a book to teach the reader about the effect humans have on the environment, but written from the perspective of an astronaut. The book is broken down into chapters and has many infographics. The way the text is chunked and filled with visuals will appeal to my students. It will be a helpful resource for our environmental activism unit.

With flooding, storms, and other weather events increasing in frequency and in strength, many of us are wondering what else we can do and how we can act more quickly in order to counter climate change. Our children and students are also worried about their impact and about what kind of world they will have to live in. Cue astronaut, Dr. Dave Williams and Linda Pruessen’s book “Space on Earth: How Thinking Like an Astronaut Can Help Save the Planet,” the highly-informative and action-based book that kids will find reassuring and motivating.

Organised in sections that address and link the challenges that astronauts face in living onboard the International Space Station: air pollution, water pollution and amounts, food production, waste management, and energy creation and management, “Space on Earth” establishes and compares the situations both on Earth and in the ISS. Referencing real-world solutions and technology employed on the ISS and sometimes on Earth, kids can easily see how we are making progress in the areas that count and also how we can easily apply conservation techniques in our own lives. The added segments of Dr. Dave’s life as an astronaut on the ISS are engaging and informative. At the end of each chapter, Dr. Dave sets up a manageable experiment that kids can do at home to better understand situations and technologies.


-Teacher Tips-

*Overall, this is a fantastic read for upper intermediate and middle school students. Highly engaging with highly visual references and supports.

*Experiments could easily be done with younger grades (3/4) and sections could be used with support for average readers in those grades.

*This book would complement a space or environment unit.

*Discuss the technologies employed (like the waterless toilet) and research other technologies that are helping us manage climate-related problems.

// Thank you to Netgalley and Annick press for sending me a advanced readers copy of this book! //

This book was a great read. I learned a lot reading it. i think this is a great book for anyone wanting to learn about how to save the planet, it even might inspire people to do so!!